Among his first acts as pontiff, Pope Francis ordered every diocese in the world to survey Catholics for their attitudes about any number of controversial issues, including marriage equality, contraception and divorce. The gathering of bishops will discuss the results of those surveys. In 2015, they will meet again to formulate policies based on their discussion.

It should be an interesting conversation. In Western Europe and the U.S., Catholics are generally accepting of marriage equality and regularly violate Church teachings on contraception, sex before marriage and divorce. By contrast, in the U.S. in particular, the hierarchy has taken a hard line on all of these issues, and marriage equality most of all.

Still, a change of tone isn’t the same as a change of policy. Some observers feel that Pope Francis is trying to move the Church away from harshly punishing (or even shunning) sinners without changing its definition of who a sinner is. (Hint: look in a mirror.) He’s suggested that civil unions might not be a bad idea, if for no other reason than to offer legal protections to couples and their children. That would make Cardinal Dolan’s head explode, but it wouldn’t exactly qualify Francis to be the grand marshal in the Rome Pride Parade.

Maybe live and let live is the best that we can get out of the Vatican. It would unquestionably be an improvement. But would it be good enough? We’ll find out later this year.

How can it be bad news? It’s not like they can get more opposed to marriage equality than they already are.

May 1, 2014 at 11:16 pm · @Reply ·

Billy Budd

If they change their views on marriage equality, I will personally donate my kid nephew for the church, to be molested at their will for the rest of his childhood. I can sign this promise and commitment with my own blood.

May 1, 2014 at 11:29 pm · @Reply ·

Mezaien

@vklortho: HOW CAN IT BE A BAD NEWS?. How you can you even ask that? the Catholic, church will take over gay Marriage, control and make money from “GAY” business! NO IT IS NOT GOOD NEWS.

May 2, 2014 at 12:12 am · @Reply ·

Billy Budd

@Mezaien: I wouldn’t mind if they began performing marriages for gays. You have to consider the costs and benefits that this would bring to us. This would make them richer and more influential, which is bad, but this would force billions of people to accept the gay lifestyle, since the church dictates what is good and what is bad. There would be no argument anymore. The benefits outweighs the costs. IT WOULD BE GOOD NEWS, YES.

May 2, 2014 at 1:40 am · @Reply ·

hyhybt

It takes generations to get anything this big changed in the Catholic Church, partly because anyone high enough up to make a change will have got that position because they like things the way they are. But even a change in tone (in either direction) matters, because it affects the range of possibilities for the next turnover.

It’s like a very tall Plinko board. At each level, the chip usually moves half a slot either right or left; occasionally it may bounce one slot further than that, but that’s pretty much the limit. Only, instead of random chance, at each step down there are people deciding both which direction that half step will be and who will make the decision next time.

May 2, 2014 at 2:28 am · @Reply ·

Harley

The vatican was designed for gay marriages. The place is a Liberace fever dream.

May 2, 2014 at 4:48 am · @Reply ·

Mezaien

@Billy Budd: Sweetheart! if you are a Christian, you are in an cult that murderer millions you become a murderer! so Pope Francis. Change you name Mr, Poope Smupe you can`t change your label.

May 2, 2014 at 6:41 am · @Reply ·

Cam

Sounds like the Vatican realized that they were in danger of becoming in some ways like the GOP is going in America before. You get stricter, and more conservative, and only lash out but never seek to do good etc… And guess what? Your organization shrinks and becomes more orthodox.

In Former Catholic Strongholds like Ireland the Catholics have lost HUGE percentages of the population. This Pope seems smart enough to realize that in a world where you don’t HAVE to belong to a religion anymore you can’t just have a Pope you attacks others and demand everybody go back in time 60 years. If they don’t want to lose huge numbers as the Mormons currently are, they’ve got to make the Church attractive to people. This is most likely why the last Pope was forced out.

May 2, 2014 at 7:10 am · @Reply ·

Billy Budd

@Mezaien: I am ENEMY NUMBER 1 of the catholic church. I am a RADICAL ATHEIST. Didn’t you read my other posts about this subject here on Queerty?

But I repeat: I still believe that it would be a POSITIVE thing if the church began to accept same sex marriages.

May 2, 2014 at 8:40 am · @Reply ·

ouragannyc

Expect the same BS:
“compassion for lgbts because they are a broken and sinful specie
but no to equality and marriage equality”.
Ain’t nobody got time for dear Francis and his friends.

May 2, 2014 at 10:23 am · @Reply ·

blondeboyz

NOTHING GOOD COMES FROM THE CHURCH GETTING INVOVLED IN THE MARRIAGE BUSINESS. ESPECIALLY THE CATHOLICS!

May 2, 2014 at 11:24 am · @Reply ·

LiamLic

Misleading headline. It is not a special meeting on gay marriage. It is a meeting of the bishops to discuss a variety of topics related to ‘family’ – same sex marriage is one of many issues which will be addressed.

I think this is a positive step. The bishops were encouraged to reach out and survey people (Catholics, former Catholics, lay people, religious) to hear their views on the range of topics. Discussion is important and may lead to change.

Change is slow in an organization which is over 2,000 years old. Many love to criticize the Catholic Church – then do not go to a Catholic Church. But for those who value the Catholic Church, this is an important step.

May 2, 2014 at 1:24 pm · @Reply ·

Billy Budd

My American doctor, a psychiatrist in Boston, was personal friends with the previous pope, the one who quit. She avoided talking about sex with me, and told me that according to her beliefs, it was not wrong to be gay, but that I should be celibate. I tolerated her because she was very competent, but I quietly hated her.

May 2, 2014 at 2:46 pm · @Reply ·

Elloreigh

Good news vs. bad news? Probably “more of the same” news. Look at how long it took the Episcopal Church in America to get to the point of allowing blessing of same-sex unions, and even then not without great controversy among the wider Anglican communion. I just can’t envision the Roman Catholic Church getting there any time soon.

May 2, 2014 at 5:21 pm · @Reply ·

Chris Vogel

Or, would it be irrelevant. Most congregants don’t follow church teachings on sexual issues, and, in turn, their children don’t listen to them, being even more liberal (and pro-same-sex-marriage). The only remaining opponents (to every form of equal treatment for homosexuals) are the higher clergy and the right-wing conservative nuts who have nothing better to do.

May 2, 2014 at 5:35 pm · @Reply ·

DuMaurier

There is a possibility with actual precedent behind it; that is, that the Church’s doctrine (on marriage, in this case) won’t change, but the view that this doctrine be written into civil law will be abandoned or dialed way back. Maybe, maybe not, but that’s been the evolutionary course with other teachings that the church still upholds but no longer says should be imposed by law.

There is is a often a huge difference between the doctrin of the catholic church and people who are catholic here.They are much more liberal.But I do not tolerate their “tolerance bla bla”.

May 2, 2014 at 8:02 pm · @Reply ·

Mezaien

@Billy Budd: Homie, sorry I did not yet read it. I may be white, but still African American. I am from Namibia, and even been to the SADF (South African Defiance force as a HOMO). I had to run a way to what was Rhodesia, today Zimbabwe, for fear of the Apartheid government. I voted for Mandala, and in 1990 we came to the USA Me my two girls and four boys 6 in all; Sorry man I never knew I can heat whites that much like in the USA, “Icona matata” in Zulu.

@Mezaien: I understand the words, but not the meaning. There must be something wrong with me. :)

May 3, 2014 at 10:53 am · @Reply ·

jeau

As always with the Catholic Church, follow the money.

May 4, 2014 at 11:52 am · @Reply ·

PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS

I am cautiously optimistic. I think they may finally be waking up and realizing that an institution that has been mired in a mostly same sex scandal for a couple of decades hardly has any right to be rallying against same sex marriage……..

The Catholic church has been on the decline for years in the US as more and more younger people who are vastly more in favor of equality than the hate filled relics who run the organization are shun the church and its ugly dogma.

It is called self preservation, one of these days the GOP may also get the message………….